The winner of the award, with its cash prize of BGN 5,000, will be announced in 2022. The contenders must have achieved international success in their respective fields
Text: Magdalena Gigova
For the second time, the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund is organising the National Prize in support of young talent in contemporary arts and science. Contenders may now submit applications without any limitation regarding the discipline in which they have achieved international success.
The Executive Director of the Fund, Slava Ivanova, stressed the need for an award to show young, talented and creative people in Bulgaria that there is care and thought for them, that everything they do for their native country is valued.
Bulgarian citizens up to 35 years of age with a completed university degree in the arts or science, and significant achievements in their chosen field, and admitted in 2021 for postgraduate qualification to accredited higher education institutions in Europe, excluding Bulgaria, can apply for the prize.
The prize provided by the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund will be awarded on a competitive basis by a jury, following a two-round competition. Six contenders will be nominated in the first round. the Fund will launch a donation campaign in support of each of them.
‘The prime mission of the “13 Centuries of Bulgaria” National Fund is donation. And it is based on emotion,’ said the Fund’s Executive Director, Slava Ivanova. ‘Yes, indeed, there will be only one winner, but we want to support the development of all the nominees. That is why we have launched the campaign entitled “Support a Talent—Donate!”. The main goal of the initiative is to provide financial and moral support to the six applicants in their postgraduate qualification in European institutions of higher education.’
The award includes a monetary prize of BGN 5,000, with which the winner can support their studies abroad. The first prize-winner, pianist Victoria Vassilenko, also received the Honorary Crest of NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’, which, as a rule, is awarded only to people who have rendered great services to the Fund’s donation activities, but the jury unanimously decided to present it to her.
Dear talents in contemporary arts and science, check the NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ website to find out how to apply, and the deadline.
You can view the 2020 award ceremony for young talents in contemporary arts and science here: